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Amazon Echo speaker on sale this autumn

Amazon’s voice-activated Echo speaker will be available in the UK this autumn.

Initially launched in the States in June last year, the smart audio device works by being always connected to your home wi-fi, and is equipped with an intelligent ‘personal voice assistant’ named Alexa, which ‘learns’ the more you speak to it.

Amazon Echo, which will retail for £149.99, is compatible with other connected-home products, such as Philips Hue lighting.

The 360-degree speaker allows you to play music from any Bluetooth-enabled device and offers hands-free voice control for Amazon Music, Prime Music, Spotify and other streaming services.

Amazon has announced several service partners for the UK launch of the Echo, including Spotify, TuneIn, RadioPlayer, Sky Sports, The Guardian, Uber and Just Eat.

Speaking to ERT in August this year, Anthony Sethill, chief executive of UK tech company Frontier Silicon – the world’s leading supplier of chips, modules and software for digital radios – said: “Since its launch in the US, you cannot underestimate just how much impact Amazon Echo has had on consumers, retailers and industry pundits – they see it as the gateway to accessing cloud-based services. It’s the biggest phenomenon to affect the common, ordinary speaker in the home.”